1. Field of the Present Invention
The present invention relates generally to cutting tools, and more particularly to cutting tools adapted to be received in a chuck for rotation therewith to rotatably drive cutting blades mounted on the end of the tool.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are many previously known rotary cutting tools having a shank which is adapted to be received in a chuck of a rotary drill. Although the shank portion of the tool is relatively easy to produce, the blade supporting head of the tool requires substantial, additional manufacturing operations in order to provide a sturdy, durable tool. For example, it may be necessary to machine the end of the shank in order to provide a sufficient mating surface for the support and secure attachment of the cutting blades.
Moreover, when the size of the hole to be drilled or chamfered by the cutting tool is substantially larger than the diameter of the shank, material must be added to the blade supporting end of the shank in order to properly position the blades. Such addition of material not only increases the cost and the weight of the tool, but can also require that substantial shaping or interfacing of parts be performed in order to construct a sturdy, durable tool.
On the other hand, the tool may be cast in a mold having a particular shape which can then be machined into final shape and then provided with the cutting blades. However, each different size of cutting tool requires a different mold and thus substantially increases the cost of producing a set of differently sized cutting tools. Moreover, since cutting blades are often disposed on diametrically opposed sides of the cutting tool, a separate machining operation must be performed on each side of the tool to provide appropriate lands for the cutting blades.